Carry on Again Christmas

The second of the CARRY ON Christmas specials, and it's a real shame that this one's only available in black and white because it really loses something by not being in colour. As before it's a low budget pantomime, this time around based on TREASURE ISLAND rather than SCROOGE, and sticking a lot more closely to the source material than the previous instalment. The cast is strong here and Kenneth Connor is a more than welcome presence, although Frankie Howerd is notable by his absence. I think Hawtrey and Windsor both shine in their parts, the latter in particular coming across far better than expected given her reputation.

When you see that one of the writers is Dave Freeman,who was responsible for writing Carry On Columbus,you know that you have a laugh free hour in store. There is not one funny line in the whole sorry mess. How it could have done with Kenneth Williams in the cast.

Thames Television cashed in on the popularities of the Carry On movies by doing some Christmas specials for television.

They were not directed by Gerald Thomas. Talbot Rothwell was not involved in writing Carry on Again Christmas.

With the Christmas theme, in essence this is a pantomime. Barbara Windsor plays the buxom principal boy, Jim Hawkins.

It really is the adaptation of Treasure Island done the Carry On style, but in a more lower budget television production way.

Sidney James plays Long John Silver. Kenneth Connor steals the scenes as the absent minded, short sighted Dr Livershake.

It actually benefits by being shown in black and white. It starts off brightly enough.

Eventually the lack of sets and the lack of freshness of the script means it runs out of steam.

A shorter running length might have helped. The cast are game as ever.

Carry On Again Christmas (2): Treasure Island (1970) -

This was definitely not the best performance ever delivered by the 'Carry On' team, but I believed that it was meant to be done in a pantomimic way, which may allow for the dafter elements and silly bits.

There were of course a few good laughs still in it though, but what I thought it lacked was time to give it a well thought out and carefully constructed comedy like those normally produced for the longer films that I was used to.

A more considered script adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' could have easily had audiences in stitches and would probably have come out something like The Muppet's attempt in 1996.

As it was, it wouldn't be one that I would feel the need to see again, whereas I could quite happily watch all of the other 'Carry On' films in order, I don't think this one should really count as part of the series and based on the other Christmas editions I would probably exclude them too.

It was trying a bit hard and attempted to incorporate too many other things, instead of just focussing on the story, like when you go to see a local panto and they put in a scene where the kids involved danced to Ricky Martin's 'Livin' La Vida Loca' just so they could say that they participated, but it didn't add anything to the story of how Aladdin found that lamp.

Nobody gave a duff performance, although Kenneth Connor came close, but they all showed the same skills as normal, alas with a disappointing script.

339.08/1000.

Essentially a Treasure Island parody. Starring Sid James as Long John Silver (who else) with most of the regulars too, unusually it was either filmed or released in black and white even though it was 1970. The plot takes awhile to get moving and like most Carry on films the ending is rather abrupt, but it follows the usual formula and there's quite a few laughs to be had. Not the best of the bunch but good nonetheless.

6/10: Satisfactory fun, not part of the boxset so have to find it online if you want to watch.